Board of the Pension Protection Fund Buys Shares of 4,700 Universal Health Services, Inc. $UHS

Board of the Pension Protection Fund purchased a new position in shares of Universal Health Services, Inc. (NYSE:UHS) during the third quarter, according to the company in its most recent disclosure with the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). The firm purchased 4,700 shares of the health services provider’s stock, valued at approximately $961,000.

Several other institutional investors have also modified their holdings of UHS. CYBER HORNET ETFs LLC acquired a new stake in Universal Health Services during the 2nd quarter worth approximately $29,000. MUFG Securities EMEA plc acquired a new position in shares of Universal Health Services in the second quarter valued at approximately $31,000. First Horizon Advisors Inc. increased its position in shares of Universal Health Services by 347.6% during the second quarter. First Horizon Advisors Inc. now owns 188 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $34,000 after acquiring an additional 146 shares in the last quarter. Huntington National Bank raised its holdings in shares of Universal Health Services by 240.0% during the second quarter. Huntington National Bank now owns 204 shares of the health services provider’s stock worth $37,000 after acquiring an additional 144 shares during the period. Finally, Farther Finance Advisors LLC lifted its position in Universal Health Services by 22.9% in the 2nd quarter. Farther Finance Advisors LLC now owns 354 shares of the health services provider’s stock valued at $64,000 after acquiring an additional 66 shares in the last quarter. Institutional investors own 86.05% of the company’s stock.

Insider Activity

In other news, Director Elliot J. Md Mba Sussman sold 965 shares of the firm’s stock in a transaction that occurred on Wednesday, October 29th. The stock was sold at an average price of $225.70, for a total value of $217,800.50. Following the completion of the sale, the director directly owned 6,113 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,379,704.10. This trade represents a 13.63% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The transaction was disclosed in a filing with the SEC, which is available at this link. Also, Director Warren J. Nimetz sold 3,817 shares of Universal Health Services stock in a transaction that occurred on Tuesday, November 11th. The stock was sold at an average price of $223.30, for a total value of $852,336.10. Following the transaction, the director owned 8,481 shares of the company’s stock, valued at $1,893,807.30. This represents a 31.04% decrease in their ownership of the stock. The SEC filing for this sale provides additional information. Company insiders own 16.40% of the company’s stock.

Analysts Set New Price Targets

A number of equities analysts have issued reports on UHS shares. Wall Street Zen upgraded Universal Health Services from a “buy” rating to a “strong-buy” rating in a report on Saturday, October 11th. The Goldman Sachs Group started coverage on Universal Health Services in a report on Tuesday, October 14th. They set a “neutral” rating and a $219.00 price objective for the company. Wells Fargo & Company lifted their target price on Universal Health Services from $249.00 to $259.00 and gave the company an “overweight” rating in a research report on Thursday, November 13th. Weiss Ratings restated a “buy (b-)” rating on shares of Universal Health Services in a research note on Monday, December 8th. Finally, Raymond James Financial set a $270.00 price target on shares of Universal Health Services and gave the stock an “outperform” rating in a research note on Monday, November 3rd. One research analyst has rated the stock with a Strong Buy rating, six have assigned a Buy rating, eight have issued a Hold rating and one has issued a Sell rating to the company’s stock. According to MarketBeat, the company currently has a consensus rating of “Hold” and a consensus target price of $234.14.

Universal Health Services Trading Up 1.2%

Shares of Universal Health Services stock opened at $227.47 on Friday. Universal Health Services, Inc. has a 12-month low of $152.33 and a 12-month high of $246.32. The company has a quick ratio of 0.96, a current ratio of 1.03 and a debt-to-equity ratio of 0.55. The business’s 50 day moving average is $223.52 and its 200-day moving average is $196.25. The stock has a market cap of $14.21 billion, a P/E ratio of 10.81, a P/E/G ratio of 0.76 and a beta of 1.27.

Universal Health Services (NYSE:UHS) last issued its earnings results on Tuesday, October 28th. The health services provider reported $5.69 earnings per share for the quarter, topping analysts’ consensus estimates of $4.66 by $1.03. Universal Health Services had a net margin of 8.09% and a return on equity of 19.47%. The business had revenue of $4.50 billion for the quarter, compared to the consensus estimate of $4.32 billion. During the same period in the previous year, the company earned $3.71 earnings per share. The firm’s revenue for the quarter was up 13.4% on a year-over-year basis. Equities research analysts predict that Universal Health Services, Inc. will post 15.92 earnings per share for the current fiscal year.

Universal Health Services Dividend Announcement

The company also recently announced a quarterly dividend, which was paid on Monday, December 15th. Investors of record on Monday, December 1st were paid a $0.20 dividend. This represents a $0.80 annualized dividend and a yield of 0.4%. The ex-dividend date was Monday, December 1st. Universal Health Services’s dividend payout ratio (DPR) is 3.80%.

About Universal Health Services

Universal Health Services, Inc (NYSE: UHS) is one of the largest diversified health care management companies in the United States, offering a broad spectrum of services through its acute care hospital and behavioral health segments. The company operates general acute care hospitals, surgical hospitals and ambulatory centers, as well as inpatient and outpatient behavioral health facilities. Its network provides emergency and specialized medicine, diagnostic imaging, laboratory services, advanced surgical care and rehabilitation, complemented by a comprehensive array of behavioral services including psychiatric treatment, addiction programs and developmental disabilities care.

In the acute care segment, UHS’s facilities deliver services ranging from emergency department treatment and intensive care to maternity care and outpatient surgery.